I Hate You
by Stargazer at Moonlight
Summary: Titled after a Simon Curtis song after I started writing it. Prowl has a surprise for Jazz, but what happens after the saboteur cheats on the tactician? Prowl x Command Trine, Prowl x Twins Major. Kind of a mashup of TF series, but mainly G1.
1. Chapter 1

_**I Hate You: Chapter One**_

_**Sunstreaker x Prowl x Sideswipe**_

**Characters:** Prowl, Optimus, Jazz, Elita One, Red Alert, Inferno, Tracks, Mirage, Cliffjumper, Hound, Wheeljack, Ratchet

**Rating: **T – because I'm paranoid

**Words:** 2139

**Summary: **Prowl has a surprise for Jazz, but what happens when the saboteur cheats on the tactician?

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to know what everyone thinks of this. If you would leave a review at least saying whether you like the idea for this or not, I would be extremely thankful. And even though Prowl x Jazz is one of my favorite pairings, I seem to be incapable of writing it. Suckage….

* * *

Prowl vented a sign of relief. He had been working his hardest the last couple of weeks so that he could surprise his lover with a few days of well-earned vacation. It was also meant as a bit of an apology for not spending as much time with him as he would like to – as they would both like for him to. All he had to do was find the mech after he finished clearing his plans with Prime. There were a few minor details that he needed to know and the tactician had outlined who was the best mech to take which type of questions to.

He knocked on Optimus's wall next to the door to his office to gain the Matrix-bearer's attention before entering, staying out of the line of sight of the vid feed where Elita-One was displayed. The femme commander and he did not get along very well, but were civil to each other – in a political sort of way with masked barbs. At this point in time he was wound too tight to be overly polite and ignore some of the slight digs at his personality, veiled though they were. They frustrated him on a normal basis, but feeling like he was, he didn't want to cause a scene.

"Thank you, Elita. Please keep me updated."

The pink femme smiled and blew him a kiss before he feed cut out. Optimus sighed deeply, tracing the screen where she had been displayed. The longing that his action displayed hit the ex-Enforcer deeply and caused him to frown.

"I am sorry that the war is keeping you from your love, Optimus," he said quietly, respecting them all the more for holding off on bonding like they wanted to so desperately.

The much larger mech startled, apparently not having noticed Prowl's knock. "Sorry, Prowl. I didn't see you there."

He inclined his chevroned helm. "I am sorry that I interrupted you. As you know, I have submitted a request for time off that you approved. Here is a datapad of who is best for what questions. There are also several on my desk that detail some generic battle plans, punishments lined up for the crew members, and scheduled deliveries and orders that need to be made. You can always change them at your discretion. I have informed Smokescreen and Trailbreaker of their duties in my absence and have asked Mirage to fill in for Jazz. He also helped me set this up, so he knows where we'll be. Ratchet also knows everything just in case something occurs. We should be gone for three days with one extra day in case we enjoy this trip that much or for recovery back here at the Ark."

Optimus smiled at his tactician. He really needed a vacation. If the Prime couldn't remember the last time he had taken one, even with the Matrix's memories, he really should take one. "I did approve this, yes." He held out a hand for the datapad. "Thank you for the plans you made for your absence. May I ask where you have planned on going?"

"There's a concert a good full day's drive away by a band he likes. The even coordinators have agreed to let us come. There's also an area I've been to that I want to show Jazz. It's beautiful. In fact, I have several paintings depicting it."

"Would those be hanging in your office?"

The tactician nodded. "Yes."

"I wish you luck, Prowl."

* * *

"Prowl!" the security director called from the control room.

"Yes, Red Alert?" he asked, stopping next to his friend. "What can I do for you?"

"Something's been up in the ventilation shafts."

The tactician's optic ridges drew together in a frown. There had been no scheduled maintenance recently, so he did not know what the cause might be. "Check it out."

The red and white Lamborghini smiled brightly at him, earning him a smile from Prowl and the doorwinger a glare from Inferno. The fire truck had yet to realize they were friends and nothing more could or would come of it.

* * *

The datapad home to his travel plans clattered to the rec room floor. That sight was not something that was supposed to happen. Jazz kissing a gleaming Tracks was _not_ supposed to happen. He turned and ran from the room, entirely forgetting about the energon he was supposed to get for the evening and his doorwings drooping low upon his back and pressing as close as they possibly could to his frame.

At the noise, most of the bots turned to look, barely seeing the tactician as he turned a corner. Mirage walked up to the door just then and saw the datapad. He bent down to pick it up, gasping as he saw who's it was and able to infer from there what had happened when he looked up to see the two mechs still going at it. For that matter, he dropped the pad himself and had to pick it up again. Hound beckoned him over and the spy sat next to his only friend.

"What's on the 'pad, 'Raj?"

"I don't know. It's Prowl's. He dropped it before he left."

"Let's see it then," Cliffjumper piped up from the next table over.

The spy shrugged. He didn't see the harm in it as what the tactician mainly brought with him was bookfiles that he shared with any who asked. As the mini-bot's expression changed while he looked at it, he had to admit that it may not have been his best idea.

"Do ya know what's on it?"

"No, Cliffjumper. He normally brings bookfiles, so I just assumed that's what it was."

The red mini-bot thrust the pad back into the spy's hands. "It sure ain't a bookfile. And now I know why Prowl's not been here at all the past few weeks."

As plans revealed themselves in meticulous detail, he finally realized why Jazz's duties needed to be covered and why Prowl had been the one to tell him so, forgetting that he had been told part of the plans. This was supposed to be a surprise to the Third-in-Command. "There's one thing I can say. Ratchet won't be happy at all."

* * *

Wheeljack heard Ratchet's cursing from down the hall in his lab. He left in the middle of what he was doing – reviewing plans for his latest invention that exploded. It was a plan that Prowl and Red Alert had come up with so he could at least try and avoid future explosions caused by the same mishap. The plan had, in fact, worked to a degree. There were fewer explosions and less for the same reason, but he was getting less done.

"Hey Ratch, Mirage, Hound," he greeted as he entered the med bay. "What's got him so riled?" He had to ask the spy and scout as the medic had yet to finish his rant.

"Jazz was kissing Tracks. Prowl walked in on that."

"Slag," he cursed. "And that was such a nice trip he had planned too. He needed the vacation. Did you know that he was going to ask Jazz to bond with him? Hey, do you know where he's at?"

Neither of the two bots did, so the inventor shrugged. The best place to start looking would be with Red Alert. After all, who better to calm the tactician down than his favorite half brother? In any case, that's what he did. Ratchet and Red Alert were very good at hugs.

"I'll be back. Tell Ratch I went looking for him."

His stride was purposeful as he made his way down to the control center. Even if Prowl wasn't there, the Lamborghini could find him. He hesitantly knocked at the door leading in to his destination. A camera whirred around to show who it was and his sibling bond to Red Alert was nudged. He sent a light pulse back and waited to be admitted entrance.

Prowl was leaning into Red Alert, hugging him tightly with his helm buried in his midriff. The security director was running a soothing hand over the tactician's doorwings while his other briefly lifted from the caress of his lower back to beckon the inventor over. Wheeljack obliged and took over rubbing his half brother's back. Shaking sobs and shivers quietly came from Prowl's vocalizer and frame. The Lamborghini and Lancia shared a look over his helm. Jazz would pay for hurting their little brother the way he had, but first they would need to help the tactician recover. In the meantime, his visits to Ratchet would suddenly become much more violent and Wheeljack would conveniently be out of his favorite explosives and not have time to fabricate more.

The control room's door whisked open and closed quickly, admitting Inferno. "Hey Red, I got ya-" he trailed off.

"A cube, yes, 'Ferno. Could you please get one for Wheeljack and Prowl? I'd really appreciate it."

"Has he been crying?"

"We'll talk when you get back, alright? If you could also bring Ratchet with you, that would be nice. Just don't let him near jazz, he'll beat his aft to scrap and then 'Jack and I can't have our revenge."

The fire truck nodded mutely and did as bid, reappearing a short breem later, Ratchet in tow. He had noticed the hostility aimed towards Jazz and Tracks from a good amount of the base while in the rec room getting more energon for the group. Some of the most even-tempered bots, Bumblebee and Mirage – both who worked up the Head of Spec Ops – even glared distrustfully at him. What he had done in such a short time to gain the enmity of a good portion of a base of mechs who had loved him less than a joor ago had to have been something huge and he had a feeling that the crying Second was an integral part of the explanation.

"Ya know, I heard Cliffjumper, Mirage, and Hound plotting something as I walked past them in the rec room."

Something had obviously passed between Red Alert and the medic as the security director said, "Yes, Ratch, they'll get away with it. The monitors mysteriously malfunctioned. You'll be treating me of course since that would cause me to glitch."

"And let the Pit Spawns have free-rein on the mechs."

"I don't know if that's a good idea. They may go overboard. We know that at least Sideswipe has a thing for our youngest brother."

Thankfully Prowl was by then recharging so he did not crash due to such information. On the other hand, he really needed to be moved somewhere more comfortable for his frame and for Red Alert's lower extremities which were becoming slightly energon deprived.

Inferno froze for a moment as he processed the information suddenly unloaded onto him. In a way, the entire relationship made sense when all of the pieces to the puzzle were present and accounted for. He was just grateful that he had been jealous over nothing and Red Alert was still his.

"Let's get him up onto the berth in here. He'll recharge better," Ratchet said softly, stroking the tactician's chevron and causing him to unconsciously lean into the touch searching for comfort.

Wheeljack helped the medic lay him out on Red Alert's recharge berth in the control room. All four of the awake mechs helped move the table in the corner of the room that functioned as the security director's desk. The Lamborghini sat by the youngest brother's helm and absently stroked his neck cables as he sipped at his cube. Ratchet had flung himself into the chair that went with the desk and stared pensively at his energon, rolling the cube between his hands with his pedes up on the table. Wheeljack made himself comfortable on the edge of the desk and took a cube he set about draining.

"Pull up a chair, 'Ferno," Red Alert said. He did so, flopping comfortably back into it and grabbing his own cube.

"Ya know, I convinced him to give Jazz a chance," Ratchet muttered, finally sipping some energon. "And he was happy, but none of us knew what he was doin' to our night prowler behind his back."

"He did tell us that he was wantin' more affection."

"That's very true, Red," the inventor said. "Seems real petty though. I mean, how often do you see Ratch and 'Hide together showin' each other a lot of affection?"

"Very little," the medic answered. "We never were very overt about anything while he was courtin' me. Now we have our bond."

"At least Prowl was trying to be a bit more affectionate for him. He had actually allowed him to give him a hug in the hallway."

"Yeah. Jazz missed that sign apparently."


	2. Chapter 2

_**I Hate You: Chapter Two**_

_**Sunstreaker x Prowl x Sideswipe**_

**Characters:** Prowl, Red Alert, Ratchet, Jazz, Mirage, Cliffjumper, Ironhide, Inferno, Prime, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Soundwave, Laserbeak, Skywarp, Starscream, Megatron

**Rating: **T – because I'm paranoid

**Words:** 2211

**Summary: **Prowl has a surprise for Jazz, but what happens when the saboteur cheats on the tactician?

**Author's Notes: **Reviews make my day. ^^

Prowl started awake from his fitful recharge. He glanced around himself in a daze, recognizing the control room and also registering the feel of a warm frame resting against his back plates, fitting perfectly up against them and avoiding crushing his doorwings. The only mech he knew capable of such a feat was Red Alert as they had done so fairly often when they were sparklings and then younglings. Wheeljack was pretty good at it too, but his fins weren't that easy to maneuver around so he normally lay on the tactician's other side. Ratchet had already been a youngling with only about a vorn left before his final upgrades to his adult frame when he had been sparked, so he had never joined in the snuggles the other three delighted in.

Red Alert stroked over his doorwings lightly in an attempt to sooth him. "You're safe her, night prowler. Ratchet has a good supply of throw-able objects and is watching the monitors with 'Jack."

"I should get to my office."

"Oh no you don't," Ratchet said, turning to level a glare at his youngest brother. "You're not going back to that office. We've got all of your stuff in the crates up against the wall. Effective at some point last night, you're new office is here."

"So I can work, Ratch?"

"There's a recharge berth here and you will be using it. Someone will make sure you get your energon. Other than that, I want you down at the med bay to help me organize. It hasn't been done since before the crash."

The doorwinger winced. That would take the better part of a human week to accomplish with all his and his oldest brother's processor power on the task.

"Unless," Ratchet conceded, "you want to assign shifts as punishment."

Someone pounded at the door causing Prowl to jump and smack his doorwing into Red's helm. "Hey! Ah gotta mech ta fin', ya gonna let meh in?"

The Lamborghini gathered his Datsun brother into his arms as he began to shake and sob. He commed Inferno to get Jazz away from there. The saboteur would learn to stay away from their little brother quickly or he would get beaten into spare parts. Apparently Ratchet had also called his bondmate since he was able to hear Ironhide's voice as he came down the hall.

"Sshh, Prowl," Red Alert murmured in his audio. "He'll be gone soon. 'Hide and 'Ferno are gonna take him away from here. Is there anyone you want to see? Do you want some of your tactical reports? Or a board game? I have an upsized version of the human board game Risk. It's a simplified version of Domination in a way."

His sobbing quieted slowly and he nodded. "Can we play tonight, sirens? I should get a little bit done and Prime needs to know that I won't be taking that vacation after all."

"I'm sure he knows, but putting it formally would be good," Ratchet said, handing the black and white a data pad. "Is there anyone its fine to comm. to take over monitor duty? Both 'Jack and I need to get back to our duties."

"Mirage, Inferno, Ironhide, or Cliffjumper are fine. They mainly only listen to gossip, not create it."

The medic smiled at Prowl's thought process. Ironhide and Inferno were still dealing with Jazz, so they would be unable to, but Mirage was limited to light duty from a recently fixed hip joint and Cliffjumper was available so they were called in. He had to get down to med bay and let First Aid go. The Protectobot's shift had run much longer than it was supposed to because of what had happened. Before he left he rubbed the Praxian's chevron to get him to purr his engine contentedly.

"I've been putting Prime off, telling him you're still recharging. He wants to see you about something. What do you want me to do?" Red Alert asked, crouched in front of the black and white with his hands on his brother's knee joints.

"I should see him," Prowl murmured, barely glancing up from his lap.

They both turned their helms to look as the door whisked open. As they registered who was there, the security director snarled, whirling to stand protectively in front of, and almost entirely covering, the tactician's frame. He sent a comm. to Ratchet to check on Ironhide and Inferno. Jazz should not have been where he currently was so something had probably happened to them. Behind him, the doorwinger whimpered, burying his helm into his brother's back plates.

"Hey Prowler! I fin'lly found ya! Did –"

"You aren't allowed to call him that, aft."

"And who are ya ta tell meh who Ah can an' cain't call what?"

"What the frag are ya doin' here, slagger?" a voice came from the hall beyond his line of sight. "Cain't ya tell when ya done enough damage or when ya ain' wanted?"

Red Alert risked a glimpse over to his cameras, relieved to note that the mech out there was Cliffjumper. As Jazz was suddenly jerked backwards, he amended that with Cliffjumper and Mirage. On a normal basis, the noble's cloaking device was annoying to no end, but this time he was grateful for such ability. With those two taking care of the saboteur, he turned back to Prowl. That episode had prompted another round of tears form the normally stoic mech. Not long after, Cliffjumper entered the control room. He gratefully allowed the mini-bot to take over watching the monitors. Red Alert had a brother to comfort.

"I am sorry, Prowl, for not realizing and informing you earlier."

The doorwinger waved a hand negligently at the Prime, waving off his apology. It wasn't his place to keep watch on his soldiers in such a manner unless their work performance suffered. Up until that happened, neither Jazz nor Prowl's had. The tactician was still performing his appropriately, but refused to see the saboteur. It seemed to be the best solution for all involved, though Jazz and Tracks were suffering socially form some of their friends.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, Optimus. I have to heal on my own and I have three of the best supporters anyone could have."

"Inform me if there is anything I can do, please."

"I will." The Prime stood to leave. "Could you please let the Twins in? I have to tell them what their punishment is."

"What'd they do this time?" Optimus asked, intrigued despite himself.

"They graffiti-ed the hall to the rec room. It was rather beautifully done and I would not have caught them if this was not my new office and I had not had Red Alert as an older brother."

"Will they be taking it down?"

"I believe that I will allow it to remain. As I said, it was beautifully done. There is also the fact that the colors break up the monotony of the orange."

Prime laughed. Who knew his SIC had an optic for beauty? "That is a very good reason."

After his departure, the Twins entered, Sideswipe grinning widely. "Hey copper! I see ya got a new office and didn't inform us of it!"

Cliffjumper looked over at them from his shift on the monitors. He had a newfound soft place in his spark for the tactician and had become fairly protective of him. From personal experiences, the Twins caused trouble, but he wanted to see how the mech dealt with them.

"There was no need to inform you of the new location of my office unless you have been planning a prank against me. Please take a seat."

The red frontliner did so eagerly, followed by his twin at a more subdued pace. "Do you like it?"

"It is very nice, Sideswipe. I expect Sunstreaker did most of it even though you are taking credit." At the twins' looks of shock, he said, "Remember, I have confiscated your data pads of ideas. You draw plans even worse than I do."

Sideswipe chuckled uncomfortably. "Uh, yeah, I forgot about that."

"It was very nicely done, Sunstreaker. Would you consider doing a few murals in the hallways? The orange has begun to be optic irritating."

The yellow mech perked up at the offer. He was seldomly recognized as much as his brother for anything but to have a mech the3y were sure didn't like them give him a compliment was confidence boosting. "Depends on the subject matter, hallway, and materials at my disposal."

Prowl nodded in consideration. "Submit a plan at your earliest convenience and we will discuss this." He shifted to bring Sideswipe back into the conversation. "Since this was a nice surprise, I am willing to let you off with one joor in the brig since that is the amount of time the cameras were tampered with last night. Take yourselves down there."

The red mini-bot was impressed that the frontliners did not complain but were instead putting their helms together over a data pad about what Prowl had suggested. He had been sure they would have turned violent or even disregarded the Datsun's orders, but they calmly walked down to the brig and locked themselves in a cell, still bent over the data pad. Cliffjumper turned to look at the doorwinger in well-masked consternation. How in the Pit did he get those Pit-spawns to listen to him?

He didn't realize he had asked out loud until he heard Prowl answer. "They respect me and know that they will get triple the amount of time I assign unless they do as I say. They tested me a number of times when we first met, but they have learned since then. Their pranks are harder to catch now, but I could, when we were first on the same base, anticipate them."

"Why do you want to do the Crystal Gardens outside of the security center?" Sideswipe asked, unable to understand without knowing his brother's logic.

"Prowl has a Praxian frame. I am sure he would appreciate it."

"Oh," the red Lamborghini muttered before the explanation finally clicked. "OH! That's a good idea, Sunny!"

Sunstreaker looked at Sides with a raised optic ridge. "When do I not have good ideas?"

Prowl made his way down to the brig to allow the Twins out of their cell before recalling that he had made a deal with them and paused in the middle of the hallway.

"'Ay! Prowler! Ah finally caught ya!" Jazz exclaimed coming up next to him. "Ya ain' been in yer office. Ya off or som'thin'?"

He froze up, his plates pulling tight to his frame in a defensive move he made unconsciously. He wasn't ready to confront his former lover! How could this have happened? The saboteur had carefully been kept away from him. And, he realized, he was already late to letting the Twins out of the brig. They would just let themselves out now, something he wasn't comfortable with.

"Hey Prowler? Ya okay? Ah ain' seen ya lately. Is there somethin' wrong 'tween us?"

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were impatiently waiting on the tactician when they got frustrated and decided to leave. Prowl was a punctual mech, so something had to have happened for him to be late. The lock was easy to hack and they could let themselves out, so they did exactly that. They were currently hiding around the corner from where Prowl was held up by none other than Jazz, listening to what was being said.

"Am I okay?" Prowl asked quietly before his voice started rising with each sentence. "Am I okay?! Do you know how stupid of a question that is? I see you kissing Tracks – Tracks! – in the middle of the _rec room_ and you ask if I'm _okay_? Maybe you should have thought of that before!" The rest was lost to the rest of the mechs as he got so furious he resorted to Seeker cant, the first language he had ever learned.

The twin frontliners looked at each other in shock. So _that_ was why he had not been seen for a while. Jazz had _cheated_ on him. That was something they would have to investigate. Those two had been together for so long that this was interesting news. They had always seemed to fit so well together that they had thought the two to have bonded.

Red Alert laughed as he listened to his younger brother. That mech had a vocabulary on him! He needed to take some notes. Thankfully he had thought to start recording the scene from when Jazz had seen Prowl. Ratchet and Wheeljack would have a field day with this one.

As Soundwave, playing what Laserbeak had retrieved from the Autobot base, got to the part of the recording where Prowl transferred to Seeker cant, he went to stop the tape.

"No! It's gettin' good! I need to take notes!" Skywarp exclaimed.

"I already am, dolt," Starscream said, furiously scribbling on his data pad.

Soundwave and Megatron traded confused looks. What in Pit was being said by the Autobot SIC? And why would it interest the Seekers as much as it had?


	3. Chapter 3

_**I Hate You: Chapter Three**_

_**Sunstreaker x Prowl x Sideswipe**_

**Characters:** Prowl, Ratchet, Megatron, Optimus, Ironhide, Wheeljack, Red Alert, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Jazz, Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Autobots in general

**Rating: **T – because I'm paranoid

**Words:** 2064

**Summary: **Prowl has a surprise for Jazz, but what happens when the saboteur cheats on the tactician?

**Author's Notes: **Reviews make my day. ^^

Ratchet slapped Prowl on his back plates with a smile, proud of his youngest brother for telling the dumb fragger off. It was even better when he started in Seeker cant. He got extremely creative in cursing the mech out and threatening him with all kinds of harm. Letting his frustrations out like that was certainly giving the medic more work though as many of the mechs on base were asking him to run a processor scan on the black and white. Some of the more perceptive ones even asked for Red Alert to get one, having noticed that the base had not been inundated with alarms.

"Well, that takes care of that." The scanner in his hand was returned to his instrument tray. "I have to say that that was impressive. Remind me to take lessons from you, please."

The Second-in-Command grinned. "Megatron placed a vid call to Optimus and demanded to talk to me. He asked for a translation because the Seekers, apparently, took notes. Starscream pushed him out of the way and told me I was under his Trine's protection because they wanted to learn more."

"So I should be expecting a Seeker escort on you then."

"Yes. I need to inform Red according to Optimus, but I could feel his laughter, so he already knows. I'm just wondering who they're sending of it they're all coming."

The medic laughed. "So does that mean Optimus is informing everyone of their new residence?"

"That was where I left him."

Prime massaged his temples as he waited for all of the Autobots to gather in the rec room even though it did no good. How to explain to them that Prowl, the Head of Tactical and Second-in-Command, was now going to have an escort of Seekers? Pit, he was still wondering why and the Decepticon leader had been no help, though he could have sworn that Soundwave's shoulders had shook with suppressed laughter. For that matter, what had the tactician done to warrant such behavior and what had he ranted at Jazz in? That sound could have damaged audios!

"So Prahme, what's tha meetin' for?" Ironhide asked, hand resting on the Autobot leader's shoulder plating.

"I am just about to begin, my friend."

The red mech shrugged and went to find a seat. At least his mate's humor would probably be explained soon. He hoped so in any case. It was a little weird to feel that and the cause not be the Twins.

"Autobots, I have important news." All noise stopped as the mechs gave Prime their undivided attention. "The Decepticon Seekers Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp will be living here on the Ark for the foreseeable future and functioning as Prowl's bodyguards on and off the battlefield."

All of the Autobots were quiet for a moment in stunned silence before the dam broke and they began yelling.

"What in Pit?" "They defecting?" "You've _got_ to be joking!" "Guarding _Prowl_?"

The noise quieted as Red Alert and Wheeljack burst into laughter, holding onto each other to keep upright and not end up sprawled on the floor. "Seekers are really protective of Seeker-kin, aren't they?"

Red Alert answered between giggles, "Not only that, but he impressed them! Again! Those insults really did the trick!"

"Hey Prowl!" Skywarp exclaimed as he landed right next to the Autobot SIC and threw his arms around the Praxian-framed mech. "That was awesome! Ya gotta teach me! I wanna call Megatron a 'glitched-faced fragger that is stupider than a drone that's been deactivated for stupidity' to his face plate!"

Prowl ran a hand over the leading edge of the black and purple jet's wings in greeting. "You will want to be careful about that, Skywarp. Now what's the proper way of greeting Seeker-kin with wings?"

The Seeker vented a sigh before stroking the top of his doorwings. "Yes, Professor."

"Nah. That was Creator. I was just used for demonstration. Now, did you leave Starscream and Thundercracker behind to get here first?"

"Of course! They wouldn't let me warp them with me though, so it's their own fault! So what happened? We had thought he was your sparkmate, if not your bondmate."

"He cheated," Prowl said with a shrug to one of his few friends from his younglinghood. "I walked in on him kissing Tracks in the rec room. He didn't have the decency to at least confine those actions to one of their rooms. I did get my answer to why he had never moved in with me though."

The other two Seekers landed as he finished speaking and greeted him politely before wrapping him in the middle of them in a "Seeker hug". They stood like that for a long moment before breaking away from each other. Since the last time they had all engaged in one so many things had happened, but they were determined to work through it for what had been a strong friendship, even if it was millennia after the fact.

"Be prepared to wake up to Seeker cuddles again," Starscream warned the grounder. "Your lock can't keep us out."

Prowl snorted. "If I thought that, I'd be glitched."

Thundercracker had an arm slung companionably across Prowl's shoulders as they walked up to the Ark and was listening to the plans that he and Skywarp were formulating. They were up to their old tricks already and the Autobots would soon learn to fear when they were together. At the Academy in Vos those two had been known for their pranks, but rarely caught even if they had a distinctive flair and had chosen a "calling card" to identify theirs – a complicated pattern of black Xs that no one else had been able to replicate. It was fairly appropriate that they were planning to first prank the Prime as the first mech they had ever pranked – even if it was on accident – was the Dean of the Academy.

All of the Autobots – besides Skyfire, Ratchet, Red Alert, and Wheeljack – that were there to greet them gaped at the sight and at how their stoic tactician was grinning with the black and purple jet. Starscream glanced around at the assembled mechs and sniffed disdainfully. Had they never seen friends interacting before? Pit, they had been friends for most of the activation before the war started and had, at one time, almost bonded the grounder into their Trine. They were close in ways that most could not imagine.

"Oh! Hey!" Skywarp said with an enthusiastic wave as he glanced up before turning back to Prowl to resume their plotting.

The blue and red jets vented a sigh with a shake of their helms. They weren't coming out of planning any time soon and Primus help the Autobots when they did.

"Hey Thunder! Hey Scream!" Wheeljack called, waving foolishly.

Ratchet walked up to the four mechs. "Sorry Prowl, but I'm borrowing your partner in crime. You three. Med bay. Now."

The Seekers hurried to obey. Never piss off the medic. Especially this one. They learned that long before joining the Decepticons. Hook actually liked them since they did what they were told when he was acting as medic.

"But Ratch…." With a slight nudge on their sibling bond, he also pouted, hoping he could get his way. Company in his new office would be nice as there was now a small enclosed area around his desk, collapsible of course since he would not be there permanently.

"I'll send them to you as I finish. Primus knows you'll want to get _reacquainted_ with them. Just try to not traumatize those on monitor duty. I sure don't need them inflicting that on me and Smokescreen. For that matter, don't go giving Red any ideas. I still wish I had what the humans call 'brain bleach' so I didn't have that visual of my _youngest brother_ with _three Seekers_," Ratchet stated as they walked through the halls of the Ark to the med bay so that the medic could begin his work.

"I did tell you that they were coming over that orn, so it isn't really our fault you saw us like that. At least I learned from some of the best interface partners and didn't have to come to the med bay from excessive pain when I lost my seals."

The medic's helm dropped into his hand and rubbed harshly, trying to scrub the image out that way. "_That_ I did _not_ need to know!"

"Oooo…. What do you not need to know? That we 'faced until we all off-lined that first time? Or that Prowler likes to put on a show? And likes to watch one?"

He repeated his earlier action with a bit more force. "That makes me want this 'brain bleach' even more, Skywarp! You know I wasn't raised as close to Seekers as my younger brothers were. I've told you this on numerous occasions."

"My past will be raising a number of optic ridges without my interfacing habits joining the mix, thank you," the doorwinger said, earning him a pout from the teleporter.

"Can I warp us all from somewhere to your quarters then when we want a good 'facing session?"

"That depends on the duties I have that particular human day. And if I have my room's soundproofing on."

The two mechs looked at him and asked simultaneously, "You have _soundproofing_?"

"Dude! Did ya see how close Prowl was to those Seekers?" Bumblebee asked. "What's the story behind that?"

"Hol' up! Wait a sec! Prowl was close ta Seekers?" Jazz asked in surprise. His former lover was not one he would have pegged for a possible traitor.

"Yeah. And you should have seen the smile on his faceplates!" Smokescreen added. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was going to be prankin' someone with that smile looking suspiciously like Sides's. Of course, that can't be true, but that's what it looked like."

The saboteur frowned. For all that he knew of the tactician, that didn't seem right at all. What was going on? "So ya know why they come 'ere?"

"Something about Seekers taking care of Seeker-kin and them being impressed," the yellow spy answered with a shrug. "And that comes from Red Alert and Wheeljack."

_Well, that certainly explains why he was near insatiable in the berth._

"Starscream!" Prowl exclaimed as he was pulled part way across his desk by the data pad he was holding that he had been carrying an analysis out on. "Give that back!"

"Nope!" Skywarp said. "You've been doing that _all day_! And I want a cube and so do Star and Thunder."

The tactician sighed through his vents. "We're _walking_ there. Ratchet doesn't want you shot while you're in base."

"You're no fun, Prowler," the teleported said with a pout. Part of the fun was scaring the slag out of the Autobots.

"I am, just not while I'm working."

"Well! Come on then! Thunder and Ratchet are in the rec room waiting."

Their walk through the hall gained them numerous looks as the black Seeker gestured wildly while he described some of his antics on the Nemesis and some of the fights that the Decepticons got into with themselves. Starscream cut in every so often to offer a cutting remark or sarcastic comment. The usually stoic tactician was grinning at the mechs and walking between them at ease and in a better mood than many of the Autobots had ever seen him in. The closest they had seen was with Jazz or Red Alert. With the past in front of them cleared, the walk to the rec room took no time at all.

It was eerily quiet as they stepped inside until Skywarp broke the tense silence with an overjoyed "Thunder! I missed you!"

"And this is part of the pride of the Decepticons air forces?" Prowl muttered to the red jet jokingly. He got a smooth laugh for his efforts.

"That just tells you how bad the rest of the forces are," Starscream snickered, grabbing a cube for his black wing mate along with one for himself after pushing one into the Autobot SIC's hands. "You don't get enough and you need a good waxing. Your colors used to contrast so beautifully. They aren't as striking anymore."

The doorwinger purred quietly, his wings fluttering. "That would feel wonderful."


End file.
